Co-Op

Sadly, the co-op is no longer functioning in Monroe.  Thankfully...we have a new farmer's market in town every Saturday on Midland Avenue at the 4 way stop with Highland.  

If there are any questions, please e-mail me at  donnayearwood@gmail.com

Garden Update!

Pictures from the first week of May:

Fresh Radishes!

French Breakfast Radish Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of radishes
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
• rosemary to taste
• sage to taste

1. Cream all ingredients together in the food processor.
2. Slice radishes as shown in picture and fill with cream cheese mixture.

Carrot Cake!

Recipe coming soon!

Microgreens!

In this week's box, you might find yourself with some fresh microgreens! I have been growing them in my garden and would like to share them with you all.

What are microgreens? Microgreens are really tender baby seedlings that are less than 20 days old. I have been growing a mixture of microgreens that includes arrugula, radish, romaine, endive, celery, cabbage, and mustard greens.
What will I do with microgreens? Microgreens are great as a mini salad, as a garnish, or in any recipe that asks for greens. My favorite way to use them is in a quiche recipe. I orignially posted this recipe for our Thanksgiving Menu. I simplty substituted the microgreens for the arrugula.

Green Quiche:

-1 frozen pie crust

-3/4 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded

-2 tsp olive oil

-1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

-4 cups of organic microgreens

-1 tsp balsamic vinegar

-3 eggs

-1 cup heavy cream

-salt & pepper to taste

-1/2 tsp paprika

-1/4 cup bacon crumbles (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F. Sprinkle shredded Gruyere cheese across the bottom of the pie crust. Saute olive oil, shallots, greens, and vinegar until the greens cook down. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour the vegetable mixture into the pie crust. Cover the vegetable mixture with the egg mixture and sprinkle with bacon bits. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the quiche starts to lightly brown on the top.

Walton Wellness Luncheon

Building a Raised Bed Garden:

For the first weekend in March, we took on a new project: building a raised bed veggie garden. So, now I am the proud farmer of three 4'x4' boxes that we built with reclaimed wood. Now we're working on building up the soil and soon we will have our own little back yard vegetables and herbs! Dill, basil, chamomile, lettuce, radishes, and broccoli coming really soon!

Sell Your Books!

I just wanted to tell everyone about a website that I discovered today. You can sell them your used books and they mail you a check! As a New Year's Resolution, I'm trying to declutter, so this is a great way to turn some of my clutter into cash! Check it out:
Cash For Books - We Buy Books & We Pay The Shipping!

What's Cookin' Tonight...

I've really been craving fish for a few days, so tonight I'm going to make fish in a brown paper sack. Yes...fish in a brown paper sack. It is Chad's most favorite dish!

Ingredients:
-4 FRESH tilapia fillets
-4 small brown paper "lunch" bags
-1 bunch asparagus (If you don't like asparagus, use thinly sliced carrots)
-2 zucchini squash, cut into 2 inch strips
-1 onion, diced
-2 cloves garlic, diced
-2 tbsp paprika
-2 tbsp oregano
-1 tbsp salt
-1 tbsp black pepper
-1 tbsp red pepper
-3/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
-Lightly oil a medium baking sheet and the bottom and sides of the paper bags.
-Distribute onion and zucchini in the bottom of each bag evenly.
-Mix garlic, paprika, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small bowl and rub each fillet with this seasoning mixture.
-Place tilapia fillets on top of the zucchini mixture. Distribute asparagus evenly on top of each fillet.
-Roll down the tops of each bag and oil them so that they will remain closed.
-Bake for 35+/- minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. You want the fillet to be white and flaky.
-When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, VERY carefully transfer the entire bag to a plate. Be careful because sometimes the bottom of the bag falls out! Cut and pull away the bag and serve with brown rice or a thick slice of bread.

Good Food!

Food rave of the week: The National of Athens, GA

I officially found a new favorite Athens restaurant on Monday night when a friend suggested that we meet there. The National is the perfect mix of here and there. Its a comfy local place with the class of a fine urban dining experience. Their website (www.thenationalrestaurant.com) gives the following description:

"The idea behind The National is simple: to provide a casual neighborhood gathering spot reminiscent of the bars and cafés we’ve enjoyed on travels to Europe. Mediterranean inspired food and wine is served for lunch and dinner in the dining room and throughout the day at the bar. While our menu points to culinary traditions from abroad, we value our local farmers and our dishes reflect the changing seasons in Northeast Georgia.

The National is brought to you by Peter Dale/Chef, Chris Luken/Bar and Hugh Acheson (chef of the acclaimed Five & Ten)."

For dinner, I had the haddock with rice and a cream sauce with pomegranate top. I also tasted the delicious seafood stew and for dessert we shared the cazuela with chocolate sauce plus ice cream! Wow...the food that we tasted was ridiculously good! The portions were the perfect size and the service was incredible! I can't wait to go back.
We learned about The National through a very talented artist and great friend, Matt Zbornik, who designed and built their bar. He also introduced us to another restaurant that he worked with a few years ago, Farm 255. Both restaurants work to support local farms and change their menu with the seasons. By the way...my favorite dish at the Farm is the Cast Iron Raclette. It is so simple, but with pickles, potatoes, toast, and cheese how can you go wrong?

Dreaming Of A Downtown Christmas...

My Downtown Monroe Christmas List:

My Little Charlie Brown Tree

-For ANY kid: Elf On The Shelf can be purchased at Man In The Moon Books @ 133 S. Broad Street for $30. This is the cutest gift and unlike many children's gifts, it will be used year after year.
-For the gardener: Pick up some gardening tools and seeds at Buckles Hardware Company @ 113 N. Broad Street. Stick them in a galvanized tin bucket and top with a bow! Its a practical gift that any gardener will appreciate.
-For the chef: A gift certificate for a Honey General Store Co-Op Box of course! For just $25 you can introduce your friend to an organic cooking experience that they might just share with you!
-For the aspiring yogi: Classes at Shapes Yoga Studio are a great way to destress after the Holiday frenzy. Men and women enjoy yoga, pilates, and balance ball classes geared toward beginners. There is even a pre-natal yoga group for all moms-to-be!
-For the aunt who loves pink: Sugar Free Pink Flamingo Chocolates from Merle Norman @ 121 S. Broad Street. Yummy! Bring her in for a makeover too!
-For the architecture lover: Houses of the Founding Fathers, a coffee table book filled with beautiful homes and outstanding architecture. $50 at Man In The Moon Books.
-For your favorite niece: A Vera Bradley Miller Tote in the Cambridge pattern from Clara Belle's Monogramming & Gifts @ 117 N. Broad Street.
-For your wife, mom or basically ANY woman on your list: A spa gift certificate for Roxy Salon & Spa! They can enjoy their choice of services and you pick the dollar amount! This gift is flexible, relaxing, and luxurious.
-For your husband/boyfriend/dad: Help him get his caffeine fix and free wireless internet access at the Blue Marley Cafe on the corner of Washington Street and S. Broad Street. You choose the dollar amount for a gift card that they can use all year!
-Last minute Christmas Decor: Check out all of the beautiful trees, wreaths, and ornaments at Once Upon A Season @ 127 N. Broad Street. These ladies can help you decorate your entire home for your Christmas festivities!
-For your little ballerina: Dance, gymnastics, or art lessons from Ballet On Broad at 132 N. Broad Street are a great way to get the kids moving! You'll find something for every age group. They also have great clothes, dance accessories, and toys!
-Oysters Anyone? Do you have an oyster tradition for Christmas Eve (raw oysters, fried oysters, oyster dressing, oyster stew)? If you don't, start one this year! Visit CCS Fresh Seafood Market @ 129 N. Broad Street for the freshest seafood around. Their sock-eyed salmon, halibut, and shrimp are incredible too!
-For the too-cool little brother: A recycled onion bag wallet for $10 by Jocelyn at Honey General Store and a Johnny Cash CD from Stan's Music & Sound @ 139 S. Broad Street.
-For the art lover: Local art is an incredible gift...to the recipient, to the artist, and to your community. Honey General Store features art from Leslie Moody, Susan Pelham, Becca Blair, Jacqueline Delker, and Sarah Howard, who are all Monrovians. Many of the other downtown businesses display pieces from our local artists, so stroll through downtown and check them all out! The Gilded Lily @ 123 N. Broad Street displays and frames many of these unique local pieces. Make sure you stop at the Monroe Art Guild as well.
-For the foodie: You can't go wrong with a gift certificate to Twisted Oak Woodfire Grill. Contemporary American food at it's finest with great a wine selection, too!
-For the out of town guests: If you're having guests from out of town consider booking them a suite at The Wayfarer Hotel in downtown Monroe. Give your guest room a rest!
-The ultimate gift: Own a piece of Monroe! If you're looking to move to Monroe or really surprise your family, stop by Broad Street Realty @ 118 N. Broad Street to buy this fully renovated 1930's cottage. With 4 fireplaces, you can hang all of your stockings! This 3 bedroom/3 full bath home is at 716 East Church Street and was renovated by Draper Construction Company. Call 770-601-7992 to view the house! Pictures coming soon!

Thanksgiving Update...

After all of the worry about my turkey...he turned out great! He was delicious...stuffed with herbs, garlic, lemons, and onions and rubbed with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika. We enjoyed him several times as sliced turkey, turkey tetrazzini, and turkey sandwiches.

Turkey Day Menu

It is so hard for me to believe that Thanksgiving is only a few days away! This year is sure to be entertaining for everyone because I will be cooking and serving our late lunch. This will also be my first turkey, so please pray for me next Thursday! I thought that I would share our menu and a few recipe ideas with everyone so here goes...

Oven Roasted Turkey with Cranberry and Walnut Stuffing
Zinfandel Cranberry Sauce
Old Fashioned Dressing
Sweet Potato Souffle
Arugula & Gruyere Cheese Quiche
Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream
Cherry Pie from Big City Bakery in Athens, GA

Zinfandel Cranberry Sauce:
-1 cup sugar
-1 cup Zinfandel (We're using 4 Vines 2004 Sonoma "Sophisticate" Zin)
-12 oz fresh cranberries
-1/2 tsp fine orange zest

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Chill.

Arugula & Gruyere Cheese Quiche:
-1 frozen pie crust
-3/4 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
-2 tsp olive oil
-1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
-5 cups chopped arugula (this works with any leafy green...we even tried it with collards!)
-1 tsp balsamic vinegar
-3 eggs
-1 cup heavy cream
-salt & pepper to taste
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/4 cup bacon crumbles (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F. Sprinkle shredded Gruyere cheese across the bottom of the pie crust. Saute olive oil, shallots, arugula, and vinegar until the greens cook down.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour the vegetable mixture into the pie crust. Cover the vegetable mixture with the egg mixture and sprinkle with bacon bits. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the quiche starts to lightly brown on the top.

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds:
-1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
-2 tbsp olive oil
-Salt & pepper to taste
-1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Add oil to the pan. Toss beans in oil and melted butter. Add salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle almonds on top and serve! Cook green beans 5 minutes in 1-inch boiling water, covered. Drain beans and return pan to heat.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Whipped Cream:
1 medium (about 6 pounds) Cheese Pumpkin
3/4 cups WHOLE milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the sliced and covered pumpkin until tender. When it is easily pierced with a fork, scrape away from the skin and transfer the "meat" of the pumpkin into a food processor . Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and pulse until everything is evenly mixed. Pour the mixture into a frozen pie crust and bake for 50-60 minutes .

Whipped Cream: Whisk together whipping cream and vanilla extract until fluffy. Place in the freezer for about 5 minutes and whip it again!

Tiny Tots Parade

Downtown Monroe's Tiny Tots Parade had a great turnout again this year! Here are some
pictures of our trick-or-treaters!

Cold(er) weather is coming...What are you knitting?

October begins the second month of Honey General's weekly Knit Cafe on Tuesday nights at 6:00 p.m. So we would like to know...what are you knitting for this winter? What crafts do you share with your friends and family during Christmas? Has anyone tried to knit the red bikini in the Stitch 'n Bitch book? If so, what happens when you take a swim?
Alice is finishing up her final (for now) pair of socks to tackle a few projects that require less brain power. Rose went back to crocheting after one very interesting lesson on knitting. I have set a goal for myself to complete one scarf per week from now until Christmas. That leaves me with ten scarves. The first one is an oatmeal colored angora 4" scarf with very, very, very small stitches. Friends and family, please put in your color requests now. :) Maybe next year someone will get a sweater or a yoga bag tote!
If you're knitting or stitching or crocheting alone, come and join our group! If you are a beginner, we can help you with the basics! See you soon!

Taste of Monroe's "Best Taste" Winning Nassau Grits

Ingredients:
-1/2 pound bacon
-1 cup chopped onion
-1/2 cup chopped green or red bell peppers
-1 jalapeño
-2 cloves garlic
-2 cups peeled & diced tomatoes
-1 cup Red Mule Grits
-3 cups water
-salt & pepper to taste

1-Fry the bacon and reserve 1 tbsp of the grease. Set bacon aside.
2-Saute peppers, onions, and garlic. Add the tomatoes. Simmer until mixture is thick.
3-Cook grits as package directs.
4-Add vegetable mixture to the grits. Add salt & pepper to taste. Top with bacon crumbles & serve hot!

Eggplant Creole

Ingredients:
-1 large eggplant

-1 large onion

-2 tomatoes

-1 cup cheddar or mozzerella cheese

-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp baking powder

-salt & pepper to taste

-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

-1 cup bread crumbs or crumbled crackers

1. Peel, dice and soak eggplant in salt water for one hour.

2. Boil eggplant in clean water until soft.

3. Saute peppers and onions in olive oil. Add tomatoes.

4. Mash in eggplant, add seasonings, cheese, egg, baking powder, and bread crumbs.

5. Stir well.

6. Bake for 45 minutes on 350 degrees.

Fall is in the air...

Ahhh...the weather! After this scorching hot summer, the early fall breeze is a much welcomed change! Something about even this slight change of temperature tempts me to open all of the windows and start the first of the season's many batches of vegetable soup. Today, at Honey General Store, we started to get in our first order of pumpkins. We hope you'll decorate your porch with one of these monsters. We also have tiny ones too and the prices start at just $2.00 per pumpkin.

And on the social calendar...Monroe's fall activities are now underway. Taste of Monroe was a huge success! Everyone had a wonderful night with the food, music, and friends. Honey was the winner of "Best Taste" with our nassau grits, caprese salad, brownies, cookies, and breads! I can't wait to see what the second annual Taste will involve. Whippoorwill Hollow Farm's Field Of Greens (think organic farm aid) happens this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and they're expecting a huge turnout. Also this Saturday, GWA fall fest. Please visit the Honey booth for some samples, give aways, and to sign up for the co-op. Downtown Monroe is hosting its second annual Fall Festival on October 13th starting at 10:00 a.m. Visit downtown Monroe for shopping, music, kids activities, and a farmer's market. Please come out and support your local businesses.

Hoppin' John

Here's a spicy version of hoppin' john that is delicious with this week's fresh Georgia purple hull peas!

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 pounds purple hull or black eyed peas
-water
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 large bell pepper, chopped
-1 clove garlic, chopped
-1/4 cup olive oil
-salt & pepper to taste
-1/2 tsp dried cayenne pepper
-1 tsp spicy brown mustard
-1 cup rice, cooked
-8 ounces hot sausage, cooked

1- Place peas in a sauce pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook peas until tender (approximately 1 hour).
2-Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic, and olive oil.
3-Combine peas, vegetables, brown mustard, rice, and sausage in sauce pan. Heat until the mixture is consistent and serve.

Taste of Monroe Menu

It's only one week away and I have just finalized the Honey General Store menu for the Taste of Monroe. If you haven't bought tickets yet, you can still get them at Honey for $20 per ticket (they'll be $25 at the door). The Taste of Monroe will be held at the Van Horne Manor, 410 East Church Street, Monroe, GA 30655 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. You will have the unique opportunity to taste menu items from local restaurants and stores, do some early Christmas shopping at our silent auction, and enjoy our cash bar...all in one of our favorite downtown neighborhoods! The following restaurants and businesses will be participating in the tasting: Twisted Oak Woodfire Grill, Blue Marley Cafe, Van Horne Manor, Fox's Pizza Den, Nature's Magik Garden, Bella Cucina, A Better Bite Catering, SD Smokehouse, John's Supermarket, Bruser's Ice Cream, Robison's BBQ, Creative Dinner Solutions, Country Beginnings, Honey General Store, and a few more! All of the proceeds from this event will go towards the Downtown Development Authority of Monroe.
A few of these recipes will be posted individually, but I'd like to share a little about each of them first...Keep in mind that these items are available at my booth, but all of the other vendors will have 3+ items at their table for you to try!

• Pop's Nassau Grits: This recipe was given to my mother by a dear family friend, Harold Byrd, who now resides in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. He has been so kind to our family and we've spent several wonderful family vacations relaxing, scalloping, fishing, and enjoying Aunt Ebby's Ice Cream at his home! If you love grits, this is for you! If you're not from around here, haven't tried grits, or question the taste value of this Southern staple, this is for you! This recipe originated in Pop's area and the Red Mule Grits are from Athens, GA! Tim and Alice Mills and their mule, Luke, create a few quality corn products: grits, polenta, cornmeal, and porridge. You can find them at Honey!
  


• Caprese Cups: Caprese salad reinvented! Bright green (spinach) and red (tomato) fillo shells hold an all organic carprese salad mixture and are topped with a fresh local basil leaf.


• Asiago Flatbread: Fresh, cheesy, delicious asiago cheese flatbread from Big City Bakery in Athens, GA will be served in small bites for tasting. This bread is available at Honey General Store each Wednesday and is currently my best seller!
  


• Pumpernickel Bread: This yummy bread will be served with a soft honey butter. Also from Big City Bakery in Athens, GA.


• Sourdough Everything Baguette: We will have some dipping oils available when you try this Big City Bakery treasure!
  


• Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies and Ginger & Molasses Cookies: The names say it all! Order these for your sweetheart in a Christmas Cookie Box! Big City has a large variety of cookies for you to choose from.
  


• Cream Cheese Brownies: You won't be able to resist these treats from Big City! Also available in fancy holiday boxes.

I hope to see you at the Taste!